Pneumatic coupler.



NO. 826,397 Y PATENTED JULY 17, 1906. F. L. WOOD.

PNEUMATIC COUPLER. APPLICATION FILED 00T.28, 1905. I

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No. 826,397. PATENTED JULY 17, 1906. F. L; WOOD. PNEUMATIC COUPLER. APPLICATION FILED 0OT.28, 1905.

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P. L. WOOD.

PNEUMATIC COUPLER.

APPLICATION FILED 00T.28, 1905.

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Wiifiamw fi jwezefoz .fi' wz'e'il 71 5001 UNITED STATES PATENT oEEIoE.

FREDERICK L. WOOD, OF WORCESTER, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR TO THE AEOLIAN COMPANY, OF NEW YORK, N. Y. A CORPORATION OF CONNECTICUT.

PNEUMATIC COUPLER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented July 17, 1906.

Application filed October 28, 1905. Serial N0- 284,864.

To 0. whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, FREDERICK L. W001), a citizen of the United States, residing at l/Vorcester, in the county of WVorcester and State of Massachusetts, have invented new and useful Improvements in Pneumatic Couplers, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to an improved coupling arrangement for automatic pneumatic musical-instrument players wherein there is embodied a tracker having a plurality of sets of ducts adapted to cooperate with corresponding perforations in a music-sheet. Each set of tracker-board ducts is normally appropriated to a given manual of an instrument having a plurality of manuals, but is arranged for variable association with different sets of pneumatics controlling the speakers, such as pipes orreeds, of the instrument as, for example, the swell-organ, the great organ, &c.

My pneumatic coupler comprises a stationary valve-box, conduits leading from said valve-box, and a slide-valve in the valveboX having ports or passages, the valve having a movement to put at least one of its ports or passages into communication with one of the first-mentioned conduits and'into communication with a plurality of said second-mentioned conduits. Said valve boX or casing in the present case is stationary. The coupler organism thus briefly outlined is simple in construction, effective in action,

and by it certain advantages are obtained, as will hereinafter appear.

Referring to the drawings, Figure 1 is a detail perspective view of one end of my improved coupling arrangement. Fig. 2 is a view, partly in elevation and partly in section, illustrating the normal relative position of the parts. Fig. 3 is a similar view illustrating the valve in a difierent position, whereby the communication of the trackerducts with the pneumatics is reversed. Fig. 4 is a similar view showing the valve adjusted to a position to throw one set of tracker ducts into communication with a plurality of pneumatics. Fig. 5 is a sectional view taken through the valve and valve-casing. Fig. 6 is a sectional view of a modified arrangement hereinafter more particularly described.

That which is regarded as new will be set forth in the clauses of claim appended to the description.

Referring more particularly to Figs. 1 to 5 of the drawings, wherein my invention is illustrated as organized for use in connection with a two-manual organ, the reference-11w meral 1 designates a tracker, which may be a single integral structure or composed of a plurality of tracker-boards properly associated. Said tracker, whether constructed as an integral one or a plurality of trackerboards interassociated, is provided with a plurality of series of ducts 2 2, the number of ducts in a given series being commensurate with the manual note range of the instrument with which the tracker is arranged for operation. The ducts 2 2 are connected to and associated with ports 3 3" in one wall of a fixed stationary valve-casing or valve-box 4 by means of conduits 5 5. The valve-casing or valve-box in the illustrated example of my inventionis composed of two spaced-apart elements of the machine-frame but I do not confine myself to this particular type of valve-cas ing, as other suitable types of valve-casing maybe employed without departing from the spirit of myinvention. When constructed as shown and thus described, the element 4 of the valve-casing or valve-box is fitted about guide-pins 4', with which pins are associated springs e that act upon the element l to maintain said element in close contact with the valve 12, hereinafter referred to, and to maintain said valve in close contact with the element 4 of said casing. The utility of this arrangement is to insure a perfect line of com munication, the springs 4 maintaining the parts in close contact and compensating for any wear that may occur. When the valve-- casing is otherwise constructed, mec'hanically equivalent means, such as packing or other contrivances well known to the art of valve mechanism, may be utilized. Leading from pneumatics controlling speakers, which may be reeds or pipes, are a plurality of pipes or conduits 6 6 7, which pipes or conduits communicate with ports 8 8 9 in another wall of the valve-casing 4. As shown, the pipes or conduits 6 6 7 are connected to a block 10, having passages and connections 11 appropriated, respectively, to the differ.

ent sets of pneumatics controlling the speakers of theinstrument. The conduits 5 5,

that connect the tracker-ducts 2 2 with the ports 3 3 in the valve-casing 4, and the conduits 6 6 7, that cooperate with the different sets of pneumatics, are immovable in the sense that during the operation of coupling or shifting the connection of one or other set of tracker-board duets with one or other or more of the sets of pneumatics said conduits are not moved or disturbed, but main: tain their operatively-fixed connection with the stationary valve-casing. Arranged for operation in the valve-casing and interposed between and 'movable with relation to the conduits 5, 5, 6, 6, and 7 is a valve 12,(shown as a slide or recipocating valve,) which may be operated in any suitable manner, either manually or automatically. As shown, this valve is connected to links or pitmen 13, connected to a rock-shaft 14, arranged in hangers by means of crank-arms 16, and upon rotation of the rock-shaft the valve may be reciprocated as desired, and this may be accomplished either manually or automatically. I have only shown one of the links 13 in the drawings. This valve is provided with suitable passages 17 17, so arranged therein andwith relation to the valve-casing ports 3, 3*, 8, 8, and 9 that, for instance, (and as shown in Fig. 2,) the ducts 6 may be placed in communication with the ducts 2 in the tracker normally appropriated thereto for cooperation with appropriate noteperfora tions in the music-sheet and the ducts 6 be in communication with the ducts 2 in said tracker. The arrangement is such also, as shown in Fig. 3, that the communication between the ducts 6, 6, and 7 and the sets of tracker-board ducts may be reversed and the set of ducts 2, which in Fig. 2 is in communication. with the pneumatics governing the swell-organ speakers, is now, as shown in said Fig. 3, in communication with the pneumatics controlling the swell-organ speakers. The ports 17 17 of the valve 12 are, furthermore, so arranged and interrelated and proportioned with respect-to the valve-casing ports that when said valve is shifted, for instance, to the position shown in Fig. 4, the pneumatics controlling the swell-organ and the great-organ speakers are placed in communication with one set of tracker-ducts, and the other set of tracker-ducts is cut out when the first-mentioned tracker-ducts are uncovered by note-perforations in the music-sheet. By reason of this arrangement, if desired, pipes or conduits of rigid or inflexible material may be employed, because such pipes or conduits are not at all moved or disturbed during the operation of the valve to shift the lines of communication for coupling purposes, as above described.

The new arrangement which I have provided is exceedingly economical of manu facture, the valve being a simple slide-valve provided with ports of proper shape, ar-

rangement, and proportions to accomplish the object intended.

In Fig. 6 I illustrate a modified organization wherein the coupling is done from the lower set of ducts in the tracker. In this figure the tracker is denoted by 20, it having two series of ducts, as 21 and 22, the series of ducts 21 being appropriated to the great organ and the series or set of ducts 22 being appropriated to the swell-organ. From the ducts 22 to a valve box or casing 23 conduits or tubes, as 24, lead. The conduits open into the upper side of the valve box or casing 23, the latter being of a construction similar to the valve-casing 4, hereinbefore described. In the casing 23 is mounted for sliding movement a valve 25, which as to construction and mode of operation may be as has been described in connection with the valve 12. Leading from the lower set of ducts 21 in the tracker 20 is a set of conduits or tubes, each designated by 26. The lower ends of these tubes open into a box, as 26, and control, respectively, pneumatics, as 27, of small size, upon the stems of which are valves, as 28, located in the air-box 29. The valves 28 when opened put the interior of the box 29 into communication with ducts, as 30. These ducts have their inner ends governed by keycontrolled valves, by opening which latter 9 air traverses the ducts 30. I do not deem it necessaryto show these key-controlled valves nor keys for operating the same, as the same are familiar in this art and are employed when the instrument is being played manually instead of automatically. The ducts 30 extend entirely through the box 29 and 0 en into the upper side-of the stationary va vecasing 23. From the lower side of said valvecasing conduits or tubes, as 32, 33, and 34, lead to ,the block 35, conduits, as 36 and 37, leading from the blocks to pneumatics controlling the great organ and the swell-organ. The conduits 32 and 34 communicate with the conduit 36, whereby when the port through the slide-valve 25 registers with the entering ends of the conduits 33 and 34 and with the tubes 30, as shown in the said Fig. 6, the pneumatics controlling the great and swell organs are coupled, provided the lower set of ducts or openings 21 in the tracker is uncovered by perforations in the music-sheet.

The mode of operation of one of the trackerducts 21, one of the conduits 26, and cooperating parts will now be set forth as the same exists in coupling, reference being had to the duct 21 and cooperating parts in the fore ground in Fig. 6.

WVhen the duct 21 is uncovered, the conduit 26 is opened to the atmosphere, whereby atmospheric pressure will raise the diaphragm 27, and thereby the valve 28, putting the airbox 29 into communication with the conduit 30, so that air can enter said conduit and can travel through the right branch or section thereof, pass through the port on the left of the valve 25, enter the conduits 33 and 34, and then the conduits 36 and 37 to operate great and swell pneumatics. (Not shown.) In some cases where coupling is done directly from the tracker-ducts I find that I cannot secure a rapid flow of air therethrough, owing to their small size; but by providing a construction like Fig. 6 I can secure desirable effects. I couple from the ducts, but augment the effect by pneumatic relay.

What I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. In a pneumatic coupler, the combination of a stationary valve-box, conduits leading into said valve-box, conduits leading from said valve-box, and a slide-valve in the valve-box having ports, the'valve having a movement to put at least one of its orts into communication with one of the st-mentioned conduits and into communication with a plurality of said second-mentioned conduits.

2. The combination of a stationary valveboX, a tracker, conduits leading into the valve-boX, at least one of the conduits eX- tending directly from a duct in the tracker, conduits leading from said valve-box, and a slide-valve in the valve-box having ports, the valve having a movement to put at least one of said ports into communication with one of the first-mentioned conduits and into communication with a plurality of said second-mentioned conduits.

3. The combination of a tracker having inone of the first-mentioned conduits into communication with one of the second-mentioned conduits and one of the ports being adapted to put one of the first-mentioned conduits into communication with a plurality of said second-mentioned conduits.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in presence of two subscribing witnesses.

FREDERICK L. WOOD. Witnesses:

ALBERT A. WILDER, ARCHER I. NUTTING. 

